F-Zero X may be the most enjoyable racing game that I have ever played. The fact that I stumbled upon it at all is a mere coincidence. I recieved it along with a stack of games and an N64 I bought in bulk. Anyway, the game.
F-Zero X was released in 1998 and published by Nintendo. The sequel to the popular F-Zero for the SNES, F-Zero X was, like its predecessor, an advancement in video game technology, though, perhaps not in the same sense.
F-Zero was revolutionary for its time because it took advantage of the Super Nintendo's Mode-7 graphics chip. This chip allowed the SNES to interlace multiple layers of 2D graphics, giving a pseudo-3D look to the environment of the game. This 3D effect, coupled with the high framerate of the game made for a very fast-paced, fun racing game.
F-Zero X, however, was revolutionary because it managed to sustain an even more impressive framerate at all times during gameplay, as well as being able to render 30 racers on screen at any given time. While the graphics were nothing too impressive, even for the time, the gameplay and immense sense of speed more than makes up for this. F-Zero X proved, once again, that graphics always take a back seat to gameplay.
Speaking of gameplay, F-Zero X's offers a ton of things. In the standard Grand Prix mode, you are given three different cups: the Jack, Queen and King cups. Beating all three of these unlocks a harder cup, called the Joker cup. This may seem like all that the mode has to offer, but in fact, if you go back and complete all four of these cups on the expert difficulty, you unlock the 'X cup'. This cup randomly generates tracks, giving the game an almost infinite replay value.
The game also offers a standard Time Trial mode, as well as a Death Race mode, wherein the player is given a perpetual straightaway and they have to eliminate all other racers as fast as possible. There is also a four-player Vs mode, but this mode is limited to four racers, so if you're playing with three friends there won't be any NPCs, eliminating one of the elements that makes the game fun in the first place: the scale of the races. The Vs mode is still enjoyable, but no where near as solid as the single player experience the game presents you with.
As a bonus, if you happen to own an N64 DD (which is highly unlikely), you can purchase the F-Zero X expansion disk. This expansion gives the player access to 12 new tracks, a car editor and a track editor. Since I don't own one, I can't really comment on this portion of the game, but it sounds pretty damn rad, does it not?
All in all, F-Zero X is a fantastic game, and while it was panned by critics at the time for "not being up to Nintendo's usual standard", it is definately worth a look, and is now one of my favourite racers. It even includes a reworked version of Mario Kart 64's Rainbow Road. That's cool.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman!
Released in Japan in 2007 and in all other regions two years later, Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! for the PSP is a quirky variation on the tower defence genre. Virtually unknown outside of Japan, Badman has risen to the status of cult classic in other regions, and there is a very good reason for that: this game is addictive. Addictive as hell.
Gameplay has you taking control of an evil god-like being, overlooking the contruction and maintenance of a dungeon which is repeatedly attacked by heroes. You are given a blank slate of hundreds of concrete blocks to mine away to, ideally, create a maze that the heroes will not be able to complete. Being given free reign over the shape of your dungeon allows for a lot of creativity.
While mining, you will come across different types of blocks, some of which spawn blob or fireball minions. These minions are the most basic in the game, but at least provide some protection from your attackers. The minions are where the complexity of the game comes into play, however, as this opens up a window into an entire ecosystem that you have to manage. As a blob or fireball moves around the dungeon, it will absorb energy from certain blocks and spit that energy out into other blocks. Once a single block has enough energy, it will change colour slightly, and will spawn a different minion, such as an Omnom (a small bug), a Lizardman, or even a dragon depending on the amount of energy in the block and which type of minion provided that block with energy. You also have to think carefully about the placement of these minions, as some, like the dragon, will attack any others and compromise the safety of your dungeon.
The main goal of the game is to protect the demon lord from being kidnapped by various attackers. Before a hero enters the dungeon, you are allowed to place the demon lord anywhere you please, giving the game another element of strategy. However, if your demon lord does get kidnapped and the heroes manage to carry him back to the entrance to your dungeon, it's game over for you, and back to the beginning.
The game is scored on how quickly you kill each hero, and the minions used to do so. You are given a point score and a rank, allowing for some arcade style gameplay that makes the game very easy to pick up and play.
Another great aspect of Badman is the humour present in the game. Filled with puns and pop culture references, the game will keep you entertained even during the tutorial. Take the title for instance. It's so awesome that I didn't even have to attempt to come up with a witty title for this blog post.
Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! is certainly worth picking up if you can find it, as every time you play it will leave you wanting more. It'll breathe some life into your probably neglected PSP.
Gameplay has you taking control of an evil god-like being, overlooking the contruction and maintenance of a dungeon which is repeatedly attacked by heroes. You are given a blank slate of hundreds of concrete blocks to mine away to, ideally, create a maze that the heroes will not be able to complete. Being given free reign over the shape of your dungeon allows for a lot of creativity.
While mining, you will come across different types of blocks, some of which spawn blob or fireball minions. These minions are the most basic in the game, but at least provide some protection from your attackers. The minions are where the complexity of the game comes into play, however, as this opens up a window into an entire ecosystem that you have to manage. As a blob or fireball moves around the dungeon, it will absorb energy from certain blocks and spit that energy out into other blocks. Once a single block has enough energy, it will change colour slightly, and will spawn a different minion, such as an Omnom (a small bug), a Lizardman, or even a dragon depending on the amount of energy in the block and which type of minion provided that block with energy. You also have to think carefully about the placement of these minions, as some, like the dragon, will attack any others and compromise the safety of your dungeon.
The main goal of the game is to protect the demon lord from being kidnapped by various attackers. Before a hero enters the dungeon, you are allowed to place the demon lord anywhere you please, giving the game another element of strategy. However, if your demon lord does get kidnapped and the heroes manage to carry him back to the entrance to your dungeon, it's game over for you, and back to the beginning.
The game is scored on how quickly you kill each hero, and the minions used to do so. You are given a point score and a rank, allowing for some arcade style gameplay that makes the game very easy to pick up and play.
Another great aspect of Badman is the humour present in the game. Filled with puns and pop culture references, the game will keep you entertained even during the tutorial. Take the title for instance. It's so awesome that I didn't even have to attempt to come up with a witty title for this blog post.
Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! is certainly worth picking up if you can find it, as every time you play it will leave you wanting more. It'll breathe some life into your probably neglected PSP.
Some amazing music.
Time to deviate a wee bit from my usual formula to talk about music. It's electronic music, though, so I suppose that's still acceptable.
Starship Amazing are an electronic band straight out of Anchorage, Alaska. The band consists of Derek Alexander (melodies) and Calvin Hansen (beats). At the time of this writing, they have released 5 albums and 1 EP, the most recent of which being Scoops The Robot and An Apocolypse In Binary: The Memoirs Of Gearhart Deckrion. After recently buying Gearhart and completing my collection of Starship Amazing music, I've thought long and hard about which of their two latest records (which are undeniably their greatest thus far) is best. And I've come to one conclusion: I cannot decide between the two. So instead, I'll just talk about both.
An Apocolypse In Binary: The Memoirs Of Gearhart Deckrion opens with the loud, in-your-face Progress Beckons. The first thing that struck me about this track is the use of sampled gunshots as the primary beat. Allow that to set the tone for the rest of the album: this is some dark shit.
Upon repeat listenings, I can draw some similarities between the structure of this album and the traditional 3-act structure of any good film. Progress Beckons is of course the exposition of the album, introducing the listener to the feeling and tone of the record. The first distruption of equilibrium is brought about immediately after this with Born Like This, Into This, and seems to be resolved at the end of Through Still And Storm through the use of a piano melody, creating calm and lulling you into a false sense of security. This is just the eye of the storm, however, as The Bleak Glory, The Grand Symphony throws you right back into it, another distruption which is later resolved again after a brutal beating in We Few Who Remain, ending softly with various strings as the song fades out. This calm is continued in Everyone Sleeps Alone, until it provides the final distruption that seeps over into A Hideous Triumph Of Form And Function and Within The Stagnant Shadow together forming the climax of the supposed film, the coda of which being shown through the latter half of Within The Stagnant Shadow and There Will Come Soft Rains, using mainly traditional instruments and moving at a much slower pace, giving the album closure.
This probably isn't exactly what Derek and Calvin intended for the record, but that's just what I get out of it when I listen to it. Besides this, the album fills my mind with powerful imagery of a gargantuan hurricane rocking an already bleak city to its core, leaving nothing but the hope left in the survivors to one day rebuild their crumbled metropolis.
Scoops The Robot, to me, represents this hope, filling me with instant happiness and a feeling of triumph, which is why I recommend the two records to be listened to in sequence, Scoops being played second. From its opening with Scoops, The Natural Born Cuddler to the ender, If Love Is A Fire, We Will Set This City Ablaze, this record feels like the progression that the citizens of this unnamed city are going through to rebuild their once-great residence, the closing song representing their relief of this accomplishment and the knowledge that they can finally relax. Scoops contrasts heavily with Gearhart: This is the happiest album of all time.
In short, these are both outstanding records and sit among my favourites in my music collection. They are definitely worth anyone's time, and at only US$5 each, what do you have to lose? (other than ten bucks, but how cheap are you?) You can even stream the albums for free on their site (http://www.starshipamazing.com/) to try before you buy. Get the fuck on that.
Starship Amazing are an electronic band straight out of Anchorage, Alaska. The band consists of Derek Alexander (melodies) and Calvin Hansen (beats). At the time of this writing, they have released 5 albums and 1 EP, the most recent of which being Scoops The Robot and An Apocolypse In Binary: The Memoirs Of Gearhart Deckrion. After recently buying Gearhart and completing my collection of Starship Amazing music, I've thought long and hard about which of their two latest records (which are undeniably their greatest thus far) is best. And I've come to one conclusion: I cannot decide between the two. So instead, I'll just talk about both.
An Apocolypse In Binary: The Memoirs Of Gearhart Deckrion opens with the loud, in-your-face Progress Beckons. The first thing that struck me about this track is the use of sampled gunshots as the primary beat. Allow that to set the tone for the rest of the album: this is some dark shit.
Upon repeat listenings, I can draw some similarities between the structure of this album and the traditional 3-act structure of any good film. Progress Beckons is of course the exposition of the album, introducing the listener to the feeling and tone of the record. The first distruption of equilibrium is brought about immediately after this with Born Like This, Into This, and seems to be resolved at the end of Through Still And Storm through the use of a piano melody, creating calm and lulling you into a false sense of security. This is just the eye of the storm, however, as The Bleak Glory, The Grand Symphony throws you right back into it, another distruption which is later resolved again after a brutal beating in We Few Who Remain, ending softly with various strings as the song fades out. This calm is continued in Everyone Sleeps Alone, until it provides the final distruption that seeps over into A Hideous Triumph Of Form And Function and Within The Stagnant Shadow together forming the climax of the supposed film, the coda of which being shown through the latter half of Within The Stagnant Shadow and There Will Come Soft Rains, using mainly traditional instruments and moving at a much slower pace, giving the album closure.
This probably isn't exactly what Derek and Calvin intended for the record, but that's just what I get out of it when I listen to it. Besides this, the album fills my mind with powerful imagery of a gargantuan hurricane rocking an already bleak city to its core, leaving nothing but the hope left in the survivors to one day rebuild their crumbled metropolis.
Scoops The Robot, to me, represents this hope, filling me with instant happiness and a feeling of triumph, which is why I recommend the two records to be listened to in sequence, Scoops being played second. From its opening with Scoops, The Natural Born Cuddler to the ender, If Love Is A Fire, We Will Set This City Ablaze, this record feels like the progression that the citizens of this unnamed city are going through to rebuild their once-great residence, the closing song representing their relief of this accomplishment and the knowledge that they can finally relax. Scoops contrasts heavily with Gearhart: This is the happiest album of all time.
In short, these are both outstanding records and sit among my favourites in my music collection. They are definitely worth anyone's time, and at only US$5 each, what do you have to lose? (other than ten bucks, but how cheap are you?) You can even stream the albums for free on their site (http://www.starshipamazing.com/) to try before you buy. Get the fuck on that.
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